Industry News

“Cool” becomes “cringe”: viral trends are a double-edged sword for brands


In the heat of social media, a plethora of intensely short-lived viral trends emerge, whose flashing neon lights manage to steal the attention of many brands on 2.0 platforms. However, Jumping on the bandwagon of viral trends that gush from social networks is not necessarily positive for brands.. This is what we gather at least from a recent report by Sprout Social.

Although viral trends may seem like a sensational shortcut for brands to properly connect with their audiences, the truth is that this formula is not without risks. 40% of consumers consulted in their study by Sprout Social describe it as “cool” that brands adopt viral trends on social networks, while 33% call this practice potentially embarrassing.

27% of consumers consider timing to be absolutely crucial when brands decide to surf the wave of viral trends born from the bowels of social networks and believes that this formula is only effective when the reaction to such tendencies occurs during the first 24 or 48 hours.

In any case, Generation Z consumers are generally much more receptive than baby boomers to brands adopting viral trends on social networks.

“What seems clear is that People prefer depth to superficiality when brands embrace viral trends on social media. This means that brands should focus on properly understanding the nuances of the online culture to which they are attached and also actively interact in the subcultures in which they are present. By prioritizing originality and authenticity, brands can connect on a much deeper level with their audience and avoid falling into superficiality on social networks,” explains Layla Revis, vice president of social, content & brand marketing at Sprout Social.

Brands must avoid superficiality on social networks and provide authentic and genuine content to their followers on these platforms.

To achieve success on social networks, Brands must provide the user with authentic and fun content with which they can eventually identify.or, Sprout Social highlights in its research.

«Consumers appreciate brands that create content that feels genuinely human and accurately reflects their values.. This should make brands breathe a sigh of relief, as instead of following each of the trends that emerge to the surface on social networks, they should focus on providing attractive content aligned with the interests of their audience,” says Revis.

Besides, In the coming months, social networks will come face to face with a high level of uncertaintythe derivative of the uncertain future that lies ahead for TikTok in the United States and also of the content moderation changes in Meta beyond the seas.

That level of uncertainty will particularly insidiously stalk those brands that rely on social media to connect with younger consumers.who are the most active on these 2.0 platforms and also the most willing to make purchases on these channels.

A third of the consumers consulted in their report by Sprout Social plan to buy products on social networks in 2025, a proportion that shoots up, however, to almost 50% in the case of Generation Z.

Consumers belonging to Generation Z are also more predisposed than the general population to have an account on TikTok (82% vs. 58%), YouTube (84% vs. 76%) and Instagram (89% vs. 82%) ,

At a time when “fake news” is the order of the day on social networks (and these could perhaps multiply like mushrooms after the changes in the content moderation policy on Meta) users are also demanding that brands greater responsibility in this regard. 93% of consumers believe brands should do more than they already do to combat misinformation on social media.

«The shift from third-party data verification on social networks to community notes, based on comments provided by users themselves, presents both challenges and opportunities for brands, as The eradication of ‘fact-checking’ forces brands to contain misinformation much more proactively than before«, emphasizes Revis. “Moderation tools like community notes also give brands the opportunity to interact with their audience transparently and directly contribute to the narrative of current events,” he adds.



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